


Conflagration

by freebird97



Series: On Fire’s Wind [6]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Royalty AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 12:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15908148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freebird97/pseuds/freebird97
Summary: This shall meet its end just as every flame does.





	Conflagration

**Author's Note:**

> All I can say is enjoy~.

You can hear it. The tick of the clock inside your head. It drones only for your ears, the incessant _tick, tick, tick_ , almost aligning with the beat of your heart. In the shadowed hall within you stand Morgana sits next to you upon a small table, casually cleaning himself with silent licks of his sandpaper tongue. His cleaning falls in rhythm with that droning tick, which almost brings an edge to the nerves you feel.

“Mona,” you murmur to the cat familiar, the nickname and codename slipping off your tongue without thought. He immediately stops his grooming and swivels his gaze to you. “Is everyone in place?”

“They are.” He stands, stretches, then regards you with a tilt of his head. “Are you ready, Your Highness?”

After pushing off the wall and brushing any invisible debris off your dress, you nod. The tick continues on, but now increases its tempo. Either demise awaits and patiently sits to drown everything or sweet redemption will rise and bring satisfaction to this all. Such a hard thing to tell with many unknown setbacks awaiting. This revelation is the reason the clock chimes on in your mind at its slowly increasing beat.

Silently the two of you traverse the hall, only coming to a stop in front of a large set of ajar double doors. Before there, Morgana disappears into the shadows, hiding himself from view. You know him to nearby, however, for the magic he casts out is strong. The beginning of your second act requires the help of his magic. Morgana may be powerful, but, his talents come to fruition when nearby.

You look to the left guard and bow your head, praying that Goro abided by what you asked of him. At least, one of the many parts to the singular thing you asked of him. Seconds after your acknowledgement to the guard, he bows his head back and ushers you forward without a word. Thanking the stars, you pass the guards without a hindrance.

Passing through the doors is all a cacophony of sudden difference from the near silent and shadowed hall you had been staking out in previously. Bodies litter the room as their voices carry to the high ceiling, also making the temperature of the room much warmer. None pay much attention to the masked woman that has paused at the double doors.

_Tick, tick, tick._

They don’t pay attention until the lights suddenly dim and cast the room in low light. Some cry out in fear, wondering why in the world all the lights have done such a thing. Despite the slight panic, the room seems to be holding its breath for what is to come.

_Tick, tick, tick._

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen,” you greet the party-goers as the lights near you suddenly flare to life. This time, the shouts are also riddled with gasps of surprise as every single gaze turns to you in an instant. “Forgive my sudden intrusion, I did not intend to frighten you all. That is not my goal tonight.”

“Who dares interru”—the crowd has parted in one area, revealing the most extravagantly dressed male in the room. However, he does not get to finish his enraged utterance for you swiftly speak over him.

“Ah, Your Majesty!” You place a hand over your heart and bow from the waist, but, make sure to keep your face upturned and your eyes unerringly pointed on him. “My fear that your presence may have been missing from this event has been misplaced, thankfully.” Straightening, you begin a slow descent down the right side of the crescent moon stairs. “Everything can go according to plan.”

“And who, might I ask, are you?” The king snarls, stepping forward but not coming too close. The guards in the room traverse near him, weapons drawn and ready for anything. You pay them no mind, your gaze solely on your father. You feel no fear towards them.

Ah, this shall be a fun game. Akira and you have been around each other so long some of his traits are becoming your’s. One specific trait comes to the forefront with a frown and a furrowed brow. “How could you not recognize me, my dear king? All those hours we’ve spent together; do they mean nothing to you?”

He stares at you, but no recognition comes alive. “I always remember a criminal’s face,” he comments flippantly. “Take off that mask, you coward.”

First you close your eyes then shake your head while clicking your tongue. “Such a shame. Very well, I shall take it off, but not because you ordered me to. This I do because I wish for you to get a clear look of your demise.”

_Tick, tick, tick._

You continue your descent, which falls in line so smoothly with that ominous tick. The first step has no reaction, but, the second does. The people gasp as brilliant cerulean flames consume most of your appearance. They burn away your attire first, revealing the complex mix of battle and royal that meshes quite well, then, the mask is gone in a slow instance. Not a shocked gasp as to who you are comes until the flames disperse and reveal the full look.

Satisfaction flames to life when your father stares in open-mouthed surprise at you. None, not even him, know how to react to their crown princess’ sudden, true entrance. They all stare, bewildered. “Tell me, father,” you spit the title out, “did you too believe the rumor of my end?”

He quickly reclaims himself, straightening as he steps towards you. A relieved smile is there, yet holds no light in his eyes. “My daughter, how happy I am to see you.” His arms are held out and when he comes close you take a few steps back so he cannot embrace you. Instead of looking wounded, he looks lightly relieved. That relief swiftly turns to fake confusion.

“You think I would let you pretend to care?” A short, barking laugh comes loose. Hatred rises steadily as you stare narrow-eyed at the man you once adored. This hatred is nothing new, for you felt it only some hours after learning the truth, however, it is much more prominent standing before him. “No. I will not. I will not stand to let you act like this anymore—everyone will see your true colors tonight,” you say quietly.

“What are you speaking of? I don’t understand.”

 _Tick, tick._ The clock begins to slow. You turn to the rest of the room, meeting those closest to you with a fleeting stare. The seconds tick by as you do so, letting suspense build and rise and suffocate. The room is silent, those around scarcely daring to breath in the charged atmosphere.

“Once, I regarded you as a man of valor. A man who could do no wrong and see fit to rule my kingdom without trouble until the day I took to the throne.” You shake your head. “How wrong I was. You are nothing but a coward who fears what he doesn’t understand. The only thing you dare not fear is punishing those who you are so terrified of, for it lessens that emotion of your’s and brings some pitiful semblance of happiness.”

You turn again, but this time whip around. “Recently, it has come to my attention that the supernatural community has gone most silent. All those who walked in the open without fear now stick to the shadows whenever they can. Why?” Turning, you point an accusatory finger at the king. “It’s because of _him_.”

_Tick. Tick._

“He has them hiding in fear. He has them cowering. While he throws parties and banquets and charities for the poor, he is terrorizing the supernatural community by separating families: he’ll tear them apart over an untrue accusation. If one does not have a family, he may just imprison them or haggle them for money they need not even be giving. This all stems from the fear he holds towards them.

“To some, this may be a just fear of his. A small population of their kind are not kind to us, but, this is only but a small portion. The rest have treated us as we treat them—like humans. Therefore this fear of his is unnecessary. I know not as to where this terror of his stems from, but, it is truly an unjust emotion that has caused unneeded terror.

“That, in part, is some respect lost for the so called ‘king’. I have also lost respect for him for another reason.” While the room still holds its breath, a document presents itself in front of you with more blue flames. It unrolls itself, suspending itself at eye-level so you can read it aloud. “This, is a letter between my father and an unknown person. Not much should be discerned from it but a few simple sentences, which reads:

_“I beseech you to complete this task swiftly, otherwise payment will not come into your hands. The Crown Princess is a danger to my kingdom and must be assassinated at once.””_

_Tick._

When finished reading, the document rolls back up and disappears silently with no theatrics. A pin cloud be dropped across the room and still be heard, the silence that blankets the room is so deafening. Once again, and for the last time, you turn in a slow circle and meet the gaze of the bystanders. A mix of emotions can be found, but, the most common two are shock and anger. As you are well aware, most of the kingdom still sides with you.

“This king---no, despicable man, has been causing injustice after injustice to a people who do not deserve it. Then, because he fears his step-daughter’s kindness to a people he is scared of, he hires an unknown person to steal her life. Pitiful, is he not?”

_Tick._

Finally, the crowd begins to murmur amongst themselves. Sentences cannot be made out easily, but, the most prominent words are easy to discern. These words call for justice and bloodshed.

“Y/N, you have taken this too far,” your father says as he tries to save himself. “Wherever you have been these past months, someone has clouded your head with lies.” He look to one of his guards and gestures towards you. “Take her to her room, I will speak with her after I end this party.”

The guard doesn’t move, instead his gaze flickers between you and his king. “Do not try to hide me away, for you will just kill me yourself. Tell me, will it be just like how you killed my mother, our beloved queen, twenty years ago?”

 _Tick._ The clock stops. As it does, the man you are having a stare down with takes a step back, reeling away from you. You’ve got him now, and he knows it like a cornered animal.

“Ah, so my hunch was correct after all. This just gets better and better,” you laugh. “Her death had always been a curious one; she had made a recovery after Goro’s birth, seeming to do much better. She was just about to begin overseeing the court again, but, suddenly fell ill. Not even hours after falling ill she passed on. Only one thing could have caused a death so swift: poison. Yet, there had been none around her but her new husband and midwives. Those midwives were the same that handled my birth, so, I knew they could have not done a thing to their queen. No, it had to be her husband. And by your reaction, I know it to be you.”

“P-preposterous! I did not poison my wife!” He looks to the guard again, his expression beginning to unhinge. The crowd’s murmuring grows to an audible level as they grow restless. “Seize her at once or else I’ll have you hanged!”

“No,” Goro, dressed in his full royal guard armor, suddenly appears at your side. You smile at him which earns a fleeting smile back. Then, he looks to his full-blooded father with barely concealed rage. “Not a finger shall be laid upon her, Masayoshi.” He turns back to you, placing a hand over his heart and bowing his head with closed eyes. “What shall be done about this wretched king, Your Highness?”

You raise your head imperiously. “Seize him and take him to the lowest dungeon. His punishment shall be to rot there for the rest of his days…that is, if an angered mob doesn’t take his life first.”

The crowd erupts into delighted cheers. The guards that had been nearby Shido grab him instantly, not letting him escape as he clearly wants to. Your brother, with a fleeting glance you way, joins the wrestling. He whispers something in your father’s ear that you can’t make out, but by his maliciously delighted smile you know it to be something he’s been wishing to say for a long time.

As the guards user him off to the dungeons the crowd begins to talk excitedly amongst themselves. You pay them no heed. Instead, you step forward as another does. His arms are wide open and you rush into them with a delighted laugh. He twirls you around and around, laughing with you. When he slows he pulls you in for a warm kiss.

“It’s done,” Akira murmurs when you pull away from your exuberant embrace. Neither of you pay mind to the stares, both just soaking in one another’s company. “His reign of terror is over.”

“It is.” Nothing can beat what you are feeling right now. Nothing. You run your hands up, lightly stroking the underpart of his horns. Akira hums in delight and places his forehead on your’s. “We’re free.”

Yet, time ticks onward to the next moment of disaster.

“It’s you.” Breathing in sharply, you pull away from Akira and place a protective arm out. You had thought Goro would see fully to putting his father away for good, however, he stands clutching his sheathed sword so tightly his knuckles have turned white. “You’re the thief that I killed.” He snarls, drawing his weapon. “Prepare to die again, you bastard.”


End file.
